Biology, cognition and origins of musicality
Issue compiled and edited by Henkjan Honing, Carel ten Cate, Isabelle Peretz and Sandra E. Trehub
Many studies of the evolution of music concern the question of what defines music. Can birdsong, the song structure of humpback whales, a Thai elephant orchestra, or the interlocking duets of gibbons be considered music? In trying to answer this question, it is important to separate the notions of ‘music’ and ‘musicality’. Musicality can be defined as a natural, spontaneously developing trait based on and constrained by biology and cognition. Music, by contrast, is a social and cultural construct based on that very musicality. This theme issue tries to provide a characterization of the constituent mechanisms of musicality and the extent to which they are present in nonhuman species.
Issue compiled and edited by Henkjan Honing, Carel ten Cate, Isabelle Peretz and Sandra E. Trehub
Many studies of the evolution of music concern the question of what defines music. Can birdsong, the song structure of humpback whales, a Thai elephant orchestra, or the interlocking duets of gibbons be considered music? In trying to answer this question, it is important to separate the notions of ‘music’ and ‘musicality’. Musicality can be defined as a natural, spontaneously developing trait based on and constrained by biology and cognition. Music, by contrast, is a social and cultural construct based on that very musicality. This theme issue tries to provide a characterization of the constituent mechanisms of musicality and the extent to which they are present in nonhuman species.
[1] http://www.uva.nl/en/news-events/news/uva-news/content/press-releases/2015/01/in-search-of-the-origins-of-musicality.html
.